Simple Science

This is an ongoing photographic exploration of the beauty inherent in simple scientific concepts and experiments.

Stalactites form from a drip of precipitated solution, each successive drip deposits more material creating long and conical structures (Wax, plaster, alcohol burner, hot wire, separator funnel).

A battery is anything that converts chemical energy directly into electrical energy. (Potato, pennies, galvanized nails, wire, bulb)

Electricity is the flow of electrons. When zinc oxidizes and exchanges electrons with copper, energy is released.(Dirt, penny, galvanized nail, wire, bulb)

Voltage measures the amount of force moving electrons. Voltage can be compounded by adding cells. (lemons, pennies, galvanizied nails, wire, calculator)

The area of a shadow is a reverse projection of the object blocking the light. (Foam core, light)

The narrower the light source, the more sharp an object's shadow becomes. (Foam core, light)

The length of a shadow is proportional to distance and angle from the horizon of the light source. (Foam core, light)

Crystallization occurs when a supersaturated solution precipitates crystal solids over time. (Copper sulfate solution, salt, water)

Heat expands and pushes out the air inside a vessel. As the air cools it contracts creating lower pressure and a partial vaccuum. (Egg, bottle, lighter, paper)

Unpeeled oranges float, peeled oranges don't. Air bubbles trapped in the orange rind give it buoyancy. (Orange and water)

Potential energy is the amount of energy stored in a system because of its configuration. (Found objects)

Potential energy 2 (Found objects)

Potential energy 3 - potential energy is converted into kinetic energy when prompted by a restoring force, in this case falling. (Found objects)

Balloons are made up of polymer chains that stretch and seal around punctures. (Needles in a balloon)

Magnetic attraction.

The viscosity or thickness of a liquid is how much the fluid resists being deformed. (Red food dye in water)

Heating the air and water inside soap causes it to vaporize and expand, creating a foam. (Microwaved Ivory soap)

Detergents interfere with bonds between water molecules and break surface tension. (pepper, water, and dish washer soap)

Surface tension 2 (pepper, water, and dish washer soap)

Insects can't blink so hairs on their eyes help filter and moisturize their eyes. (Honeybee eye, image taken with Carnegie Mellon's scanning electron microscope)

Compound eyes are made up of <i>ommatidia</i>, usually 4000 in total that form the final image. (Housefly eye, image taken with Carnegie Mellon's scanning electron microscope)

Pollen that is pointed and sculpted latch onto pollinators, like insects, better. Smooth-surfaced pollen is more aerodynamic and carried through wind (Pollen grains, image taken with Carnegie Mellon's scanning electron microscope)

©2010 Linda Dong